*Dedicated to the first time I saw John Cusack in Say Anything

Ari

The next two days were clouded by embarrassment for my actions that night in the pool with Dean, mixed with torrid glances and the convenient brushing of hands as we passed. What did that mean for us and our friendship? I guess for a minute, I felt like maybe I was exactly like all the other girls that had given in to him, even if we didn't make it to treasure hunting status. Then, there were those tender moments when he brushed my hand as we walked and I thought that just maybe there was more to him and his feelings.

I guess I wasn't the best judge about how this stuff was supposed to go. I mean, I had been on dates and had relationships, but nothing ever felt 100% right. I think I was always waiting for the other shoe to drop where guys were concerned and most of the time I wasn't wrong. Most of my past relationships had been brief, nothing special that would grace the covers of a steamy adult romance novel.

Why couldn't dating be easy and why couldn't all guys be straight out of a John Hughes' movie. It was simple, boy loves girl from afar, boy shows up to girl's house in the rain. Boy plays moving romantic music from his boombox that he's holding over his head, girl rushes down and jumps in boy's arms. Then, girl is hopelessly in love with him forever. Boy and girl live happily ever after.

It was pretty simple when you broke it down, but then again, I didn't see John Cusack anywhere under my window. If we always got what we wished for then I'd want to ride off on a lawnmower with Patrick Dempsey, while wearing his black cowboy hat.

What I ended up settling for was being in love from afar, with someone who made moves on me in clubs and pools. I was in love with someone who I wasn't even sure was capable of loving me back. Someone who wasn't anything like Cusack or Dempsey, unless that version of Dempsey was a huge man whore.

My phone beeped as I was laying on my luxurious bed chowing down on sour gummy worms and watching reruns of Scrubs on my tablet. I looked at my phone and I realized I'd gotten a text from the Loverboy version of Dempsey himself.

Dean: Hey, are you free tonight?

Ari: I guess. Why? What's up?

Dean: Want to hang out? Maybe go for a walk and talk.

The thought of having the talk about what happened, really started to churn my stomach, but I persevered through it and popped another gummy worm in my mouth. Maybe some fresh air and a lot of honesty was exactly what the doctor ordered. Then again, right now, it sounded about as pleasant as a root canal.

Ari: Should I invite our 3rd wheel so she can chaperone? LOL

Dean: She's got plans...... Be ready by 7. I'll text you.

I looked at the clock, it was 3PM now, so I figured I had time to finish off this package of sweet treats and then get ready. I went back to my Netflix and it just so happened to be the episode where Dr. Cox couldn't resist making the joke about the lightbulb in the butt.

With an almost sickening full belly of gummies and a lot of laughs under my belt, I headed in to get ready for the awkwardness that was waiting for me tonight. I opted for a cream colored, sleeveless chiffon romper, with a jewel neckline. I absolutely loved this romper, because of the gorgeous mauve and royal blue flowered fabric.

I decided since we were walking around to opt for my new Kate Spade gold sandals that I bought at this really cute designer shop downstairs. They were way out of my price range, but I figured that if I was trying to live life to the fullest, that my closet should as well. I lightly curled my hair and pinned the front of my hair back into a little bump. I admired myself in the mirror and was pleasantly surprised at how chic this outfit looked, even if we were just going to walk around.

I guess when you were anticipating dying of humiliation, it paid to look great in the process.

I headed into Venise's room only to find that she did indeed have plans, because she was nowhere to be found. I shot her a text to make sure I wasn't bailing on her tonight. After texting back and forth, I found out that she did indeed have solid plans and those plans included WYNN's Nightlife Pool Party. Apparently the DJ had and I quote, "sick beats, so sick they are terminal." I hung out in the sitting area waiting to hear from Dean and was getting anxious to just get this night over with, when I received a text.

Dean: Come downstairs. Out front waiting.

I headed down the elevator and out through the lobby, part of me wishing I had insisted on the pool party after all. Maybe terminal illness from sick beats would have been better than this awful feeling in my stomach, or maybe it was just the half pound of gummy worms churning.

........................

I could hear the faint sounds of music as I stepped nearer to the doors and I saw him standing out in front of a motorcycle, holding his iPhone above his head. I stepped out into the warm Las Vegas air and I stopped dead in my tracks. He was standing in a leather jacket, black beanie, black t-shirt and fitted jeans.

He was casually blasting Simple Minds' "Don't You (Forget About Me)" from the Breakfast Club, while people passed by him staring and giggling. I wasn't even sure I knew what was going on at that moment. I stepped closer to him ever so slowly, not sure what to expect and he pulled from behind his back a small bouquet of dark purple peonies, which just happened to by my favorite.

I smiled at him and shuffled my foot on the pavement. "What's all of this?"

I looked at him both surprised and really confused. This wasn't the guy that I knew. This wasn't the man who relied on whiskey and his devilishly handsome good looks to sway the underwear of all women he met. He wasn't a flowers and music kind of guy; he would be the first to tell you that it wasn't his style. So why was he acting like something he wasn't?

"It's a date Blakewell, that's what it is." He flashed his famous panty dropper smile and I couldn't help but think that if he kept this going, I might either check him into a hospital for evaluation or throw myself on him. He came up to where I was standing, taking off his jacket and placing it around me. "You'll need this."

He held my flowers as I put on his jacket, which I must point out, was way too big for me and very warm- almost gross warm in the weather. He grabbed his black backpack and placed it on my back.

"Sorry babe, but you'll have to wear this too."

He handed me back my bouquet of perfect peonies and grabbed the spare helmet on the back of the charcoal Victory, Hammer S Sportsbike.

"Dean. Where did you get the bike?" I asked, as he was helping me put on the helmet.

"A friend."

"Really? That's all I get? Well then tell me, where exactly are we going?" I asked again in an almost annoyed manner.

"It's a surprise." He looked at me with a sparkle in his eyes.

"Isn't it always?"

"I personally love a little mystery in life." He put his helmet on and positioned himself on the bike. I got on behind him and wrapped my arms tightly around his chest.

Why was I surprised so much by him? I thought about probably a hundred different sarcastic comments to make at this point, about the women, his love of surprises, and his secrets, but I decided not to question him and just leaned into him as we took off into the night.

We were stopped at a light when he leaned back and said, "Did I tell you how beautiful you look tonight."

"I didn't realize that you thought I was beautiful."

"You take my breath away Blakewell." I was instantly shocked at his answer and at that point really confused by the whole thing even more, but I couldn't help finding myself tightening my arms around his chest, leaning into him more. It was like I had no control over myself when he was around me and part of me hated him for that.

Dean came to a stop in front of Mandalay Bay. We valeted the bike, then he took my hand and we walked over to the aquarium. Once inside, I noticed that it was a lot quieter than it should be for a busy Vegas summer. I couldn't help looking around for some clue as to why we were so alone in such a public place.

As I was scanning the room, a man approached us before we got very far. "I'm sorry, Mr. Andrews, I should have met you out front. Everything is in place as per your assistant's specifications."

I looked over at Dean, who had a really bright smile on his face. "Thanks."

Thanks? Thats' all Dean said? So many questions were flooding my brain, that all I could do was stare at him, like my brain had jumped out of my head and left the building, suitcases packed. Finally, I composed myself as we walked into an area of the aquarium, which had a long tube that allowed us to see all the fish on all sides. In the middle of the tube's walkway, there was a plush picnic blanket laid out on the floor, with a bottle of wine and two glasses.

"What's going on and don't give me this surprise or mystery thing. Why are you doing this, why are we doing this?" I looked at him, my face demanding answers.

"Ari..." he paused before finishing, "You deserve so much more of an effort than I've been giving lately. I just wanted our first date to be something out of your wildest dreams, even if it is in Sin City." He motioned for me to sit on the blanket and he took the backpack I'd been wearing this whole time. He placed it by his lap and looked at me before pulling from it a bag of take-out Chinese.

I could smell the vegetarian moo shu from where I was seated and I had to admit, that if this was a cartoon, my mouth would be watering buckets right now, flooding the room to the point where we would need to fashion a raft out of cartoon sticks.

"I got your favorite." He looked at me and smiled, setting the food out around us.

From a speaker up above music began to play softly and in an instant, I realized that he totally pulled a smooth move, because the songs were famous love songs. He opened the bottle of merlot and poured us two glasses. At that point I couldn't contain my smile, because I was literally on my perfect cliche date, but the guy in front of me wasn't what I would ever classify as my version of perfect. We ate and enjoyed our wine, all the while, I couldn't help but be mesmerized by all the fish swimming gracefully around us.

........................

We sat for what seemed like forever and just talked, like it was a real bonafide first date between two people. He asked me goofy questions that he definitely knew the answers to already and I laughed a lot at his stories about his life that I already knew and all the really corny jokes he was telling me. I was absolutely lost in his eyes at one point, until he got up and reached for my hand.

Dean helped me up and asked me if I would like to dance. He nodded towards the end of the hallway, where the same guy who greeted us was briefly standing. The man pressed some buttons, then disappeared to leave us all alone. Dean took me in his arms as Mazzy Star's "Fade Into You" played overhead. His mouth was close to my ear and I could hear each breath he let out.

"Dean. How did you know about this song?"

"I do listen to everything you've ever told me. You're my best friend for a reason."

"You didn't answer my question, once again," I whispered.

He looked into my eyes, a gentleness to them that was rare, but when it was there, it was genuine.

"I remembered that all you ever wanted when you were in the 8th grade was to dance to this song, at the Spring Dance with Jeremey Colten. It was your favorite song at the time." I couldn't remember the last time I thought about Jeremey Colton and that horrible 8th grade dance. "I also remember you saying how you got sick a few months beforehand and Pimple Face Colton, asked a really slutty 7th grader to be his date instead."

"He didn't have pimples, Dean." I couldn't help but laugh, as I lightly brushed my fingers through the back of his short hair.

"Any guy who'd stand up the chance to dance with you deserves to have a face full of pimples," he smiled a really faint smile, "I wanted to give you the dance you always wanted, even if I'm not Jeremey Colton and full of pimples."

At once, my heart began to race out of my chest, because for the first time in my life, someone had cared enough to try and change all the hurt and erase the disappointment I had felt throughout my life. However, I was also terrified beyond belief, because that person was Dean Andrews.

I could see a faint shimmer of fear in his eyes and his grip around my waist tightened ever so slightly. He leaned in ever so close. "Ari Blakewell. Can I kiss you?" His words were tender, with a kind of emotion to them that was very unfamiliar to me and to our relationship.

"You never needed permission before."

"Ari... Can I kiss you like you deserve to be kissed, right here, right now?" His words were like a vice on my heart.

I nodded and he tenderly placed his lips on mine, my knees going weak underneath me. The kiss was warm and gentle and I closed my eyes and leaned into him as he wrapped his arms tightly around me, taking me into his whole body. His lips were soft, but the feeling radiating from them was electric and I felt it in every facet of my body. Slowly, he pushed me up against the cold glass of the tube, his kisses against my lips soft and frequent.

He cupped my face now with his strong hands and looked at me. "Dean..." My voice caught instantly in my throat.

"Ari..." He kissed me again, this time it was a harder kiss, more passionate, more full of fire. I couldn't believe I was in that moment with him.

Somehow I was being lowered back onto the blanket and he was above me kissing me. My hands ran along his back and found their way under his shirt. His skin felt hot to my touch and I wanted to press it firmly against me. My skin was on fire under his strong lips, as he trailed his kisses along my neck and shoulders. I absolutely wanted him in that very moment.

My hands inched his shirt up, trying to pull it over his head, but he stopped me and looked deep into my eyes. "Ari. We need to be more than that. I need us to be more." I looked into his eyes and he was dead serious.

Dean Andrews, the infamous bedder of vast amounts of women wanted to actually take things slow with me.

I removed my hands and cupped his face. I tenderly pressed my lips to his.

"I want us to be more also."

The smile that formed on his mouth was breathtaking. He rolled over and hauled me to his chest, wrapping his strong, tan arms around me and we stayed in that moment for a while. The truth was, it didn't seem like it was long enough, not for us.

"Dean?" I positioned my head so that I was looking at him.

"Yes?"

"I want this, I want you... But, I... I'm really afraid." My voice choked in my throat, as I realized I might be ruining everything that had been building with him over this last month.

"I know Ari, and it's ok. You take all the time you need, because I'm always here," he looked at me and placed a soft kiss on my forehead, "I've always been here waiting for you."

When he dropped me off at the door of my room, he kissed me gently and told me that in any true first date fashion that he would text me. Sure enough, ten minutes later, he text me from his room telling me he had a wonderful time and we should see each other soon. I sank further into my bed, picturing his arms wrapped around my body and his lips pressed against mine. For the first time in my life, I wasn't praying for a lawnmower to show up blasting music, because I was already in my perfect version of heaven.

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A/N: Hey guys!

Hope you liked the chapter. Let me know what you think. Please vote and comment

Music inspiration for this chapter is a ton of 80s songs. Pretty in Pink was on when I started the chapter so I figured it was meant to be. I am also a sucker for the whole John Hughes, 80s love type stuff so I totally wanted their first genuine moment together to mimic that.

I've also decided that next chapter will be a little different, because I think Ari has some stuff she needs to work through because of this date and moment, so it's possible we will hear again from her. Their time in Vegas is coming to a close and they will be moving on to their next destination in a few chapters, but there is still some major stuff in store while here.

As always, check out my Twitter for updates and random thoughts @amina_leeds

Amina <3